Inspirational Weekly Parsha Insights and anecdotes of Rabbi Schwartz and his never dull family as they acclimate and absorb into their new home in Karmiel Israel, having made Aliyah- August 2010

Karmiel

Our view of the Galile

Thursday, August 10, 2017

Treading Lightly- Eikev 2017 / 5777

Insights and Inspiration

from the

Holy Land
from

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

"Your friend in Karmiel"

August 11th 2017-Volume 7 Issue 40 19th
Av 5777

Parshat Eikev

Treading Lightly

Coffee is an essential part of yeshiva boy’s
existence. As a child I never drank coffee. It was a grown up drink. My mother
told me that it would stunt my growth. Now that I am a towering 5”10.- stop
smiling and winking Aliza and siblings of mine- 5’10 or almost 5”10 OK, I thank
her for that. We did have coffee on Pesach with broken matzos for breakfast
though. It seems that was alright. It was to get in the spirit of the Maxwell
house Hagadda, I guess. But it really wasn’t until I went to High School in Long
Beach that I really started drinking coffee. I was a grown-up. We needed it for
the late hour learning sessions and early morning prayers. And even if we
didn’t learn late or daven early, the coffee drinking ritual was still
required. In fact I saw that the great Munkatcher Rebbe used to tell his
chasidim that if they didn’t have a Mikva to go to before their early morning
prayers than they should drink coffee with milk instead. Because milk or chalav
as it is translated in Hebrew is the gematria/numerical value of 40, like the
letter mem. And mem kaveh (coffee) spells mikva. And there you
have it.

Now the coffee was always available in
yeshiva. There was coffee, sugar, cups, spoons and hot water always available.
Milk on the other hand, which needed to be refrigerated was only available when
the kitchen was open. We had a separate fridge though by the coffee room,
however that was for everyone’s private food. You know like the hot chopped
peppers that we used to use a relish to drown out the flavor of most of the
food, or people’s home-cooked food that their parents sent them. And of course
people had their own special stash of milk for when there was no kitchen milk.
Now generally one would hope or assume that in a yeshiva, where people studied
Torah all day and were focused on becoming better Jews, that if someone left
private food in the refrigerator it would be “safe”. Not so much. You see
Yeshiva guys also assume that since their friends and the owner of
aforementioned food was also studying Torah and trying to become a better Jew
than he probably would be happy to share it with another. He also learned and
studied Maimonides which suggests that the highest form of charity and kindness
is when the benefactor does not know who the recipient is. So in order to
further his friends spiritual growth many people would more often than not feel
free to helping themselves to some of that fridge food in times of crisis-
crises like I made a coffee already and I don’t have milk, and I would have to
waste and pour this in the garbage which would of course be sinful unless I
“borrowed” some of that milk sitting in the fridge. As well I’m sure my friend
wants me to learn Torah and it is obvious that I couldn’t do that without a
coffee- see above- so he probably won’t mind sharing some of that milk with me.
See yeshiva guys are really clever about this kind of stuff. Our sages tell us
that the greater a person is the greater his yetzer hara/ evil inclination is.
And it seems that in yeshiva our yetzer hara was particularly skilled at
justifying anything.

I remember once there was a yeshiva student
who was getting annoyed that day after day his milk was being “borrowed”. It
reached a point when he didn’t even have milk for himself and he was everyday
having to buy a new carton. Finally he decided enough was enough and he wrote
on the milk carton in large letters “PRIVATE MILK”, hoping that would dissuade
anyone who assumed that they could just take it or that it belonged perhaps to
the yeshiva. However sadly the next morning, the milk as gone. Oh well, he
thought, maybe he wasn’t clear enough. Perhaps they assumed that I wanted them
to know it was private and that they were free to take it. So the next day he
wrote on the milk “PRIVATE MILK-BLI RESHUS (no one has permission to take
this). Much to his disappointment though the milk was gone once again. So the
next day he upped the ante a bit and wrote “THIS MILK IS PRIVATE, THE TORAH
SAYS LO TIGZOL- (Thou shall not steal) HE WHO VIOLATES THIS WILL HAVE TO GIVE
JUDGEMENT”. Certain that this would solve the problem, he was once again
shocked to find that their must be some blatant thief in the yeshiva that
didn’t care as the carton was empty once again. Still trying to find some
excuse for this person, perhaps he thought that I was just writing this and
would forgive him for it, the next day he put up a new sign. “THIS MILK IS
PRIVATE IF SOMEONE STEALS IT I WILL NEVER FORGIVE HIM, EVEN ON YOM KIPPUR, EVEN
IF HE DIES.” Yet sadly, lo and behold, he awoke the next morning looking
forward to his cup of brew and whadaya know the jug was empty. Realizing there
was no other solution he finally came up with the perfect plan. He had solved
the problem. The next morning and from then after no one touched his milk. What
did he do? He wrote two words on his carton- “CHALAV STAM” and no one had
touched it.

{For those not familiar with the concept milk
is kosher when the cow is observed to be milked by a Jew- that can insure that
no other non-kosher milk was mixed in. Many people rely on a leniency that milk
that has USDA supervision suffices. That milk is called chalav stam- or
plain milk as opposed to the more stringent milk which many in yeshiva were
strict to only drink called chalav yisrael-Jewish milk}

Yup, sadly one of the chronic maladies of the
Jewish people is that we find ourselves being stricter and more diligent about
keeping Jewish customs and stringencies than the actual law. The Kotzker Rebbe
is said to have ruefully once remarked to one of his students that it’s a shame
that Hashem wrote Thou shall not Steal in the Ten commandments if he would have
just said it’s a minhag- a custom or a hanhaga tov- and
extra-special act or even better yet a segula- a good omen than people
might be stricter about it. One of the great signs and the best stories of some
of our greatest leaders are when they ignore the less important custom or law
in order to fulfill the more important and critical commandment.

I recently saw a story about one of the great
Rabbis who would help and counsel a poor widow regularly. She was a holocaust
survivor and he would always spend time comforting her and lifting her spirits.
One year right before Yom Kippur she lost her son. She was grieving and she was
mourning. Reb Zelig did his best to talk to her and console her as he wished
her a good year before the holiday. Yet as he walked to shul and the services
he led prayers for, he began to think that this woman would be all alone and it
would be too much for her to be so. So after consulting with Rav Pam in middle
of prayers he got onto a train and went uptown right over to her house to spend
the rest of the day with her. Yom Kippur davening is at best a rabbinic
commandment as is riding on a train. Taking care of widow, an orphan, making
sure that they don’t god forbid feel dangerously forlorn is the greatest
mitzva. That is sign of great Rabbi.

Another story is told about Reb Chaim Ozer
Grodszenski who was once invited to a Shabbat meal by the Baron Rothchild.
There was a tremendous feast with all of the fineries prepared. The meal was
set up with elaborate candelabras. The Shabbat Tish was ready to go. Reb Chaim
Ozer came in and set at the head and looked around for the seemingly missing
Kiddush cup. All of a sudden with much fanfare the waiters came out and
revealed on a golden tray a magnificent glistening Kiddush cup made out of…. challa.
It was twisty windy, golden and in middle was a goblet filled with wine. Reb
Chaim Ozer took the goblet and paused for a minute before making Kiddush as he
had a troubled look on his face. He quickly wiped it off however and recited
his Kiddush in his beautiful and melodious voice. He complimented the Baron on
this beautiful and original goblet and proceeded to eat the meal.

It was only afterwards that he revealed to his
students what his hesitation was. He explained that the law is that we always
cover the challa when we make Kiddush in order not to “embarrass” the
bread. The shame of the bread is that we are making a blessing on the wine, whose
blessing generally is less important than the breads and follows it-except when
we make Kiddush which pushes the wine to the front of the line. So, Reb Chaim
continued, I wasn’t sure what to do here as the goblet was made out of bread
and I couldn’t cover it up. But I quickly realized that the reason why I am
meant to be “sensitive” to the bread is to ingrain in myself how much more so I
should worry about the feelings of people. And the Baron would certainly be
embarrassed if I didn’t make Kiddush, so obviously I then quickly preformed the
greater mitzva of worrying about the sensitivities of others.

This week’s Torah portion, Eikev begins with
the mitzvos Hashem commands us to fulfill and the great rewards that follow if
we observe and guard them. The Torah utilizes this strange word Eikev-
which means “because you will fulfill” to teach us this promise. Rashi
notes that the mitzvos referred to in this mitzva are the “light mitzvos”
that people tread on with their feet.
Rashi seemingly focuses on the double meaning of the word eikev which
also means heel. Yet something doesn’t feel right, the Imrei Shefer asks. Aren’t
we told that there is no real reward in this world for doing mitzvos and fulfilling
the commandments of Hashem. “Schar mitzva b’hai alma leika- our reward
is in the world to come.

He thus explains that the mitzvot the Torah is
referring to are the ones that people tend to tread on.. It is so easy to fall
into a system of “Jewish law” and “observance”. I’m shomer Shabbos. I keep kosher.
I learn Torah. I’m a good person. I’m a kind person. You know the big picture
stuff of Judaism. Sure nobody is perfect. Someone might get treaded upon here
and there, some laws might be broken, and someone might miss a little milk. But
in the big picture I can maintain my religious status.

There is something to be said for that. I’m
not negating that tremendous work and dedication to live an observant lifestyle
or the significance of the actions of these tremendous deeds. And there is reward
in the world to come for all of that. But you know what, Hashem says in this
Torah portion? If you will focus on the seemingly smaller sensitivities and
mitzvos then you will be rewarded in this world as well. For it is these little
acts that reveal how much we want to protect our mitzvos. We want to be doing
them for the right reasons, not the social accepted norms that we were raised
to just follow and to aspire to, but because we want to make sure our actions
are truly divine and holy. If we pause in our regular mitzvos and watch for the
moments within them that don’t just get treaded upon, that no one gets hurt because
of my observances, then Hashem says He will as well make sure that anything
that might prevent us from fulfilling His will, will also be removed from us.
We won’t suffer poverty, sickness and tragedies. We will have blessing,
prosperity and all we need as well in order fulfill our mitzvos in the ultimate
fashion. It is not a reward for the
mitzva, it is quid pro quo for us showing and considering how important it is
for our actions to be done at the upmost level.

Following this promise Moshe exhorts us to
remember the sin of the golden calf. To never forget what led us to that fatal
sin. It was the fact that we felt that we needed an intermediary to Hashem in
order to fulfill our commandments and follow the Torah. We forgot about the
Godliness of our actions and we just were occupied with doing the law, bringing
a sacrifice and in the process we didn’t consider that perhaps we might be
breaking the law and worshipping a false god; One that had lost connection with
our Father in heaven. We drank coffee that wasn’t ours, we prayed fervently
while widows and orphans needed us, we made blessings on bread perhaps in a
halachically correct manner while someone was shamed. We tread on commandments because
it was a false golden calf of “Torah observance” we thought we were fulfilling,
when in fact it was just a god made in our own “cow”-ardly image.

It’s not easy to pay attention to these little
nuances, but it is the little things that in fact reveal what the essence of
our observance is truly about. As we get
close to the month when the King will soon enter the field and come greet us of
Elul, let’s start to clean that field up a bit. Little weed by little weed that
we have let grow over our observances, so that from now on we know it is His
holy ground we are treading upon.

Have a enjoyable
Shabbos vacation,

Rabbi Ephraim Schwartz

*************************************

RABBI SCHWARTZ’S
FAVORITE YIDDISH PROVERB OF THE WEEK

“Besser gut un a bissel aider shlechts un a
fuleh shissel.” Better
good and a little rather than bad and a lot of it.

Q. The Sakhnin Valley is located:
A Between the Nazareth and Tur’an ridges
B. Between the Tur’an and Yodefat ridges
C. Between the Shaghur ridge and the Tsurim escarpment (slopes)
D. Between the Yodefat and Shaghur ridges

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S ILLUMINATING RASHI OF THE
WEEK

Eikev- Rashi is not a translation of the Torah. Buy an Artscroll if
you want that, or learn Aramaic and read the Unkelos-which isn’t a bad idea regardless.
Rashi is a commentar. He’s explaining the simple pshat and pointing out things
that you might miss if you just read the verses. So when you see him telling
you something that seems like an obvious explanation, ponder it. There’s
something he’s trying to tell you and it’s not necessarily the definition of a
word.

In this week’s Toprah portion when Hashem
promises us if we follow His commandments then we will be blessed and not
cursed one of the things He tell us is

Devarim
(7:14) And there shall not be amongst you an infertile man or an infertile
woman.

Seems simple enough. We know what infertile
man and woman means. Yet for some reason Rashi on this verse tells us

Infertile-
she’eino molid -That cannot father children

As my kids might say Ummmmm Duhhhh?! I mean
isn’t that obvious?

Reb Yonasan Eibishitz gives a beautiful interpretation
He answers that we have a tradition that all of our Matriarchs were barren. The
Talmud tells us this is because Hashem loves and desires the heartfelt prayers
of the righteous. So the fact that someone is barren or infertile is itself not
necessarily a bad thing. Those prayers, those heartfelt tears that the mother
sheds can be the most powerful thing in the world. It is only if the barren or
infertile person does not give birth in the hand, does not father children, than
it is a tragedy and curse. Thus Rashi here is explaining that when it says akar-infertile
it doesn’t mean someone who’s prayers Hashem’s desires and is in a temporary
challenge of infertility. Rashi is saying it is referring to someone who ultimately
does not give birth. The lesson, if you ponder what he is saying, is that the challenges and difficulties are not
a curse, it may even be a blessing. Rather the only curse is ultimately in the
end if we are not able to produce and give birth to blessing. May we only see
blessing in our lives.

Rabbi Yonasan Eibishutz– (1690-1764)
– Rabbi Yehonosson was born in Cracow (Poland) in the
year 1690. His father, Rabbi Nosson Nota, was Rabbi in Eibenschitz (Moravia),
where he died, leaving Jonathan a young orphan. A wealthy Jew in Vienna took
the young lad under his wing. However, the widow feared that the boy might be
distracted from his Torah studies in his new surroundings. She took
him back with her to Prossnitz, where she came to live. There, Yonasan
studied Torah in the Yeshiva of Rabbi Meir Eisenstadt, author of Panim Meiroth.
Soon also his mother died, and Jonathan found a foster-home with Rabbi Yitzchak Schapiro,
chief rabbi of Prague and Bohemia. When he became of marriageable age, Rabbi Yonasan
married the chief rabbi's daughter.

For
several years, Rabb
Yonasan lived in his father-in-law's house and concentrated
on his studies quietly and peacefully. He became known as a brilliant Talmudic
scholar. He was only eighteen years old when he was invited to become rabbi of
Jungbunzlau, Czechoslovakia. Three years later he returned to Prague to head
the famous Yeshiva there. He also excelled as a very impressive and inspiring
preacher. He established his own Yeshiva then in Prague and attracted many
young scholars, for his reputation as a Talmudic authority and excellent
teacher had spread far and wide.

Rabbi
Yonasan 's
keen intellect sought knowledge in other fields as well, particularly in the
inner mystical wisdom of the Torah, the Kabbala.. In 1741, he was elected
rabbi of Metz. That was the time when war broke out between Prussia and
Austria, and the French army, in support of Prussia, invaded Bohemia. Rabbi Yonasan
found favor with the French and he received safe conduct to Metz. Rabbi
Jonathan Eybescbutz was greatly esteemed in Metz and he could have led a
peaceful and productive life there. But the trouble that befell his brethren in
Bohemia and Moravia made him very unhappy. In 1745 the war between Prussia and
Austro-Hungary broke out again, and the Austro-Hungarian troops who had overrun
these provinces considered the Jews fair game to rob and pillage. To add to the
Jews' misery, the Austrian government ordered the expulsion of the Jews from
the said provinces.

At
this time Rabbi Jonathan Eybeschutz tried all he could to ease the plight of
his brethren. He enlisted the aid of the Jewish leaders in Rome to plead with
the Pope to use his power in behalf of the persecuted, defenseless Jews. He
appealed to the Empress of Austria to rescind the expulsion order, and he
turned to various Jewish communities in the south of France and elsewhere to
raise funds for the hungry and needy.

In
the very first year of Rabbi Jonathan's taking up his position, there was a
sudden rise in the number of deaths in childbirth. Having the reputation of a
saintly kabbalist and miracle worker, many Jews turned to their rabbi for help.
One of the ways to counteract the danger, which had often been practiced among
cabalists and miracle men, was to write special amulets (kameoth), and Rabbi
Jonathan wrote a number of them to be worn by expectant mothers, as he used to
do also in Metz. An amulet which was supposed to have been written by Rabbi
Jonathan was brought to the attention of Rabbi Jacob Emden, an
outstanding Talmudist and kabbalist in Altona. The latter deciphered the
mystical writing and found in it a hidden invocation to Shabbatai Tzevi. Rabbi
Emden accused Rabbi Eybeschutz of being a follower of Shabbatai Tzevi. The
leaders of the community rushed to the defense of their rabbi. They proclaimed
a boycott of Rabbi Emden's synagogue and ordered Rabbi Emden to leave town
within six months. In the meantime the controversy spread to other cities in
Germany and Poland, as some of the most celebrated rabbis took part in support of
one or the other of the two sides in the controversy. Rabbi Emden saw himself
compelled to leave Altona, and he secretly went to his brother-in-law Rabbi
Arye-Leib, rabbi of the Ashkenazic community in Amsterdam. From there
be continued his fight, writing to the Council of Rabbis of the Four Lands
meeting in Constantine, and pressed his charges.

Finally
Rabbi Jonathan Eybeschutz decided to bring his case before the Council of the
Four Lands which convened in Jaroslav for this purpose in 1753. Rabbi Jonathan's
innocence was then established, and the dispute which had caused much disunity
and disrespect in many a Jewish community and which had involved also the king
of Denmark came to an end. Rabbi Jonathan Eybeschutz was again confirmed in his
office by the Hamburg Senate in the month of Kislev, 1757) and he was not
troubled any more.

Rabbi
Jonathan Eybeschutz spent the rest of his life peacefully, concentrating on his
books, which represent an outstanding contribution to Rabbinic literature. His main
works on Halacha are his Urim Vetumim, a commentary on Shulchan
Aruch, Choshen Mishpat, and Keretbi Ufelethi, on Yore De'ah. Other works
such as Binah Ittim, dealt with other sections and subjects of
Halacha. Very highly regarded and popular are his works in drush(homiletics),
especially his Yaaroth Devash, in two volumes, and Tifereth Yehonathan. Most of
his works were published and reprinted many times. He also wrote several works
on Kabbala, of which one, Shem Olam, was published (Vienna, 1891). In
connection with the dispute with Rabbi Emden, Rabbi Jonathan wrote a special
volume of defense, Luchoth Habrith (Tablets of Testimony), in which he
describes the whole dispute and refutes the charges against him. It includes
also the letters of recommendation which he had received from leading rabbis
who came to his defense. It is a masterpiece of restrained and wise writing,
which proves that he had been a victim of an overzealous, though well-meaning,
defender of Judaism.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TYPES OF JEWS IN ISRAEL OF
THE WEEK

Musicians –From the early roots of the Jewish people’s return to
our country music has always been the expression that was utilized to marshal
the 2000 years old longing into the realization of that dream. The early
settlers and kibbutzim would sit around a fire each night and sing and dance
the hora. As immigrants came from all over the world they brought with them
their songs with of course their countries of origins musical influence and
“hebrew-ized” it they made it Jewish and thus Israeli, meshing the tunes and words
with some of the middle eastern flavor and words that would reflect uniquely
Jewish and Israeli experiences. You have Yemenite, Greek, European, African,
Russian, German, South and North American Israeli music. What I find special
about Israeli songs are that lots of them are about longing and love for Eretz
Yisrael, family, and even for Hashem- and that’s even by “secular” singers. You
also have many songs-too many if you ask me- about war and loss and tragedy. We
are a musical people. One of the nice things about Israel is that throughout
the summer there are concerts in most cities that are paid for by the city in
the parks for people to come listen to and enjoy. As well a walk through
tourist streets and popular hangouts will reveal lots of street singers and
musicians. Many of them unlikely and beautiful scenes. Some of them playing
unique ancient instruments, Rabbis with beards that can be found strumming
“Stairway to Heaven”- and really meaning it. Random harp players in the gates
of the Jerusalem and in the shuk late at night. Israelis love to sing,
they love our music and in fact we have won many international awards for some
of our songs and performers. We’re back home again and if music is an
expression of the soul, than there certainly is no better country to express
that soul.

RABBI SCHWARTZ'S TOUR GUIDE JOKES OF THE
WEEK

As a young child, Yankel told his mother
"When I grow up I'm going to be a musician." His mother responded
"Well honey, you know you can't do both."

What do you call a musician with problems? a
trebled man.

Q: What do you call a singing vegetable? A: Elvis Parsley.

Q: What do you call a successful musician? A:
A guy whose wife has 2 jobs.

What did Beethoven do when he died? He
decomposed!

A guy walks into the doctor's office and says, "Doc, I haven't had a
bowel movement in a week!"

The doctor gives him a prescription for a mild
laxative and tells him, "If it doesn't work, let me know."

The doctor, worried, says, "We'd
better get some more information about you to try to figure out what's going
on. What do you do for a living?"

"I'm a musician." The doctor looks up and says, "Well,
that's it! Here's $10.00. Go get something to eat!"

**************

Answer
is D– Come on, really?. I mean who needs to know the names of
all these ridiculous hills and valleys. There’s just tons of them all over the
country. So how am I supposed to remember them. Does anyone that I am taking on
a tour really care? See Saknin I know. It’s an
arab village just south of Karmiel. My wife has to pick up our shower
head over there one of these days. I probably could’ve figured it out because I
live here. But I have a hard time believing someone from the Merkaz. Center
would know the answer to this question. What we did to remember the names of
these hills and valleys is create mnemonics. So Beit Kerem, Sajur,
Saknin, Yodefat, Beit Netofa, Turan, Nazareth
and Ksolot the hills of the lower valley stood for- Because Someone
Said You Better Teach Nonsensical Knowledge.
It’s an old high school trick, but you know what? It works.

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About Me

Hi, thanks for popping in. I am a recent Oleh. My wife Aliza and children Shani, Yonah, Rivkah, Elka and Tully recently moved to Karmiel Israel from Seattle Washington where we used to have a little Shul in our home the West Seattle TLC (Torah Learning Center). I have been involved in Jewish educational outreach for over 15 years. Originally a Detroiter, we have been lucky enough to live in Midwood New York, Des Moines Iowa, Norfolk Virginia and Seattle. I'm just a down to earth guy who would rather talk in the front of the shul than the back so i became a Rabbi where that becomes your job. I love Jews,Stories, Israel, and chulent. Recently we opened up the Young Israel of Karmiel and look forward to greeting the many North American and Anglo Olim who will join us here in the beautiful Galil.
Please comment away I thrive on your input. Thanks!

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